At laaaaaaaaast....

"At laaaaaaaast.... my table's come along......"

Sorry Etta James, couldn't resist. The feeling is exactly right. (Minus the kinesthetic display in the video, apart from its symbolic beauty, I mean.)

Yup. Monday at 1:15 PM, the new table is to be delivered unto me.. or at least into the space I've been renting (hopefully, in anticipation) all winter. But not working in, because I did not have this beautiful table I expect with people upon, for the rest of my working days, being 61 and all.

I was in stasis mode. For months. Everything was completely out of my control, and all I could do was hang in there until things sorted themselves out.

Why? What was going on?
I arranged to rent working space, in advance of having adequate equipment, last October. When I had space secured, I ordered a treatment table. It was supposed to take ten weeks to be built in Belgium, imported, then moved to my little city in the prairies.

Well, it took longer than that, and I still don't know the whole story, because the guy in quebec who is the Canadian connection is very contained about all of it. Anyway, it was supposed to be here in January, but is now 2 and a half months overdue.

But today, the local moving company, here in my own town, called to arrange delivery. I learned the table weighs 302 pounds. That's a lot. But what I like is that it's a concrete detail, and concrete details reassure me.  That it exists. That it's here. That soon I'll be able to start using it.

The treatment room is in a spa, which is OK, because at least it smells good there.. My practice will have nothing to do with the spa business - it's just a room I'm renting there. I'll be my own business.

In November, December, I got the place furnished, in anticipation, with a name registered in the province, a phone (not yet connected, but with a number that I'm paying for every month), a desk, a partition dividing the space into treatment area and reception area, a file cabinet (a lateral three-drawer affair, which I hope will suffice to contain all the patient files I expect to accumulate for the rest of my life).

A lamp, because (alas!) the place does not have natural light, no window. (Which is if I'm really honest, a good chunk of the reason why I never moved in all winter even though I had procured a massage table - I couldn't bear to start up in a place with no window during the winter.)

So, in some ways, the timing worked out fine. I think I can stand working in there during summer, and I am negotiating with the landlady/spa-owner for a window to be installed, even just a light pipe would be a big help..

It HAS been nice, pretending to be retired - it gave me a great rest for almost 3 years, but the writing's on the wall; I've run out of surplus cash from having sold a paid-off condo in ridiculously expensive Vancouver. I've lost a pile of weight and gained a bunch of muscle. I'm ready to roam the world teaching, and maintain a completely relaxed practice to pay for groceries. Time to get busy I guess. And yes, I feel better. Not great, but better. Probably good enough. Bring it - I'm up for it.